tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55678302008-07-19T13:25:13.387-05:00Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comBlogger503125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-83349406796901694392008-06-27T19:05:00.004-05:002008-06-27T19:33:18.266-05:00

I haven't been following the Presbyterian Church USA as often as I should. I was surprised that the General Assembly voted today to drop the prohibition of GLBT non celibate clergy. The removal of the prohibition is a change of the constitution which requires support from PCUSA's regional bodies called presbyteries. I'm not sure that the support is sufficient in these presbyteries but the last

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-28012686206034629422008-06-25T22:41:00.008-05:002008-06-28T08:43:28.042-05:00

James Dobson's recent radio broadcast lambasting Obama was disconcerting but the issue which struck me, as a Christian, was how religious discourse in a democracy was being conceived by these two men. Obama spoke of a universal language which we are all able to speak to communicate the commitments we have. Dobson mocked the idea that we have to adjust anything to speak with each other. While I

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-86861776569316849772008-06-22T21:23:00.007-05:002008-06-23T07:33:40.638-05:00

"There are plenty of examples of science proving a religious claim wrong. There are no examples of religion proving a scientific claim wrong. Are there any examples of religion proving science wrong?" This was raised by Friendly Atheist. But it buys into the science vs. religion frame. That's not a good opposition. As a religious person I believe we ought to work with the best of what we know.

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-58782211527956950412008-06-21T08:38:00.007-05:002008-06-21T09:07:49.605-05:00

I wanted to comment on a ruling a month ago. "The highest court of the PCUSA found that a Northern California minister did not violate church law when she officiated at the weddings of two lesbian couples." That's a good thing. Ministers should not face church trials for solidifying the love between people. When they bless mutual love they appear to be living out the Gospel, more so than the

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-79447371395695025452008-06-19T07:10:00.002-05:002008-06-19T07:15:21.436-05:00

Sorry for the blogging hiatus. But I have made the move to Indianapolis. Still looking for a job.I'll be attending Christian Theological Seminary in the fall but now trying to get myself situated now in the city. Blogging will resume in the next day or so.

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-46069508392714500962008-05-20T23:59:00.003-05:002008-05-21T09:07:56.940-05:00

When I first saw the pictures of Obama and 75,000 supporters at a rally in Portland a few days ago, it confirmed to me that the dems don't just have a nominee, they have a movement. A movement one hopes that can begin to address the unmet needs, challenges we face.

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-23709982355617866632008-05-17T10:54:00.006-05:002008-05-17T11:40:29.028-05:00

So I've been working with finals in the two community colleges that I've been adjuncting with. At the same time I'm trying to find affordable housing in Indianapolis. Any ideas in that regard? I'm moving there by the end of the month, beginning of June to get myself established there so that I can begin to take courses at Christian Theological Seminary this fall as a MDiv student for the

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-44578604640595043902008-05-16T23:59:00.005-05:002008-05-21T09:09:02.137-05:00

The CA supreme court decision opening up gay marriage in the state has received a bit of press. I'm curious if such press coverage will note the support for gay marriage that a number of religious communities have expressed. Or will the press coverage pit gay folks against religious groups in the way that it's been done in the past? I did find one piece noting how several United Church of

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-30629816709527081182008-04-26T19:12:00.016-05:002008-04-28T08:46:46.447-05:00

Friendly Atheist asks what books played a role in his readers thoughts about religion. In that vein, though I remain a theist, I figured I'd post a few books that were significant in my journey. Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism by John Spong, gave me permission to have doubts and rethink things about my faith without feeling that I needed to leave the church. Even if one cringes at his

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-61106882859382904092008-04-22T19:28:00.008-05:002008-04-22T19:54:19.741-05:00

Peace Bang raises some thoughtful concerns about the new ad campaign of the Unitarian Universalist Association in that it does not emphasize the positive content of UUism. Nonetheless I can see how this ad can work. It may play on the idea that UUism is not like other religions but the problem is folks on the whole only seem to know of fundamentalism or no religious option. That’s it. There

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-90336068248893248172008-04-17T18:52:00.004-05:002008-04-17T20:30:40.515-05:00

Adler, the gray cat on the left was born on this day in 2005. The tan cat on the right Talula. I don't know her birthday but I know she was born in 1997 so I invented April 19th as her birthday. In any case, my vision of the good life includes having my cats around.

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-76213799681719188562008-04-13T23:57:00.004-05:002008-04-14T13:32:18.305-05:00

If you click on the painting above by Lucas Cranach, you'll see the altar he made at Luther's church in Wittenburg. It represents a time period in which protestants understood and used iconography. This makes me want to hunt for protestant icons now. This picture portrays the last supper. What's interesting is that all the disciples are in a circle. And Judas is being fed first! Talk about

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-51310539473607641512008-04-10T23:59:00.007-05:002008-04-11T01:23:11.549-05:00

A quote from Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. Perhaps Shuck and Jive and others participating in evolution Sunday were expressing a feature to be found in the reformed protestant tradition? Whenever we come upon (art and science) in secular writers, let the light of truth shining in them teach us that the mind of man is clothed and ornamented with God's excellent gifts. If we

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-61179594996558103912008-04-08T21:46:00.011-05:002008-04-08T22:03:56.926-05:00

Friendly Atheist has highlighted an atheist who is visiting various churches in Mississippi. Obviously he's had a rough time of the experience so far. So the question is whether there are liberally minded churches in the state. I tried to find public liberal churches in Mississippi, something you can find easily in most parts of the country. Not very easy in though that state besides a few UUA

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-17180022184586275682008-03-30T23:59:00.000-05:002008-03-31T04:15:43.041-05:00

Several blogs have been praising Fitna, a film by Dutch politician Geert Wilders. I'm not one of them. I support free speech, oppose intimidation, and believe in criticism of any religion including my own. But that doesn't mean I'm going to endorse everything that tries to come under the heading of criticism. In this case we have a film which juxtapositions violent passages in the Qur'an with

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-33446062137737224322008-03-26T17:34:00.006-05:002008-03-26T17:56:25.071-05:00

Martin Marty has a piece defending Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright. It's worth reading in understanding Wright, Trinity UCC, and a tradition that has understood the Gospel as addressing social problems. But over at the blog MyDD one author writes: "The politics of acquiescence by liberals to Wright's words continue to amaze me. Today we have theologian Martin Marty defending Rev. Wright. The lack

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-6328811164586667252008-03-20T00:02:00.008-05:002008-03-26T18:02:24.781-05:00

Shuck and Jive has several posts about the destructive war in Iraq and what the church can do about it. Chuck Currie has a response to Obama's speech on race. In a different vein some thoughts on one way to take up the meaning of resurrection that I wrote back in 2005: "as 1 John 2:17 puts it this 'world is passing away with all its allurements, but he who does God's will stands for evermore'"

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-80888288147041123172008-03-19T00:00:00.005-05:002008-03-19T00:22:41.372-05:00

Chris Tessone posted these set of questions. I'm a sucker and of course want to have a go at these questions. 1. What translation of the Bible do you like best? I still have the NRSV Bible my pastor gave me when I graduated from high school but in the last number of years I've been taken by the majesty of the New English Bible. It's the UK equivalent to the RSV, but it sounds like the

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-3358917266526622612008-03-17T23:10:00.014-05:002008-03-19T20:24:04.345-05:00

There's been a lot of media exposure concerning Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright. Some of his politically charged sermons have been played on the networks. Few candidates have gotten this much exposure on religion. I'd recommend Bob Cornwall's comments on this controversy. like him, it's hard to accept every claim of Wright's at face value. I couldn't affirm everything said. But the general

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-69484766570846314212008-03-13T23:59:00.007-05:002008-03-15T01:42:40.353-05:00

John Haught has written a new book: God and the New Atheists. The need for good literature which responds to such folks is welcomed but unfortunately this book seems to suffer in it's central thesis. "Has Harris thought about what would happen if people adopted the atheist's belief that there is no transcendent basis for our moral valuations?" Haught lauds Nietzsche and others who were aware of

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-23412985595270331802008-03-10T05:54:00.005-05:002008-03-10T06:12:15.455-05:00

I created my first blog in 1995. It was a lefty faith site and at that time there were very few of us mainline and progressive religious sites. So I started collecting links to all I could find. A few sites stole my list :) But it was worth it to get the word around since the evangelicals were the first to swamp this medium. I'd say it wasn't until the late 90s before there was a sufficient

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-82813974995684722322008-03-09T09:44:00.011-05:002008-03-10T06:22:40.022-05:00

There are a number of troubling themes coming out of the Hillary camp these days. But the one which claims that Obama supporters are effeminate is something taken out of the GOP talking points. "I've got news for all the latte drinking, Prius driving, Birkenstock wearing, trust fund babies crowding in to hear him speak! This guy won't last a round against the Republican attack machine. He's a

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-9870706493889186022008-02-29T23:59:00.005-06:002008-03-05T21:41:12.362-06:00

It's has been remarked by various commentators how every area of government has been politicized under George Bush. But the affects this has had on the mainline church has not recieved much notice. A few years ago, mainline churches were declared not religious bodies by the US government so as to allow for more restrictions in terms of contacts with Cuba. The mainline church's support of

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-15183217620136468502008-02-27T16:02:00.005-06:002008-02-27T19:34:52.668-06:00

Apparently a Pittsburgh Presbytery committee plans to pursue new charges against the Rev. Janet Edwards for officiating a wedding between two women. And the top court in the Presbyterian Church USA made clear that ordination of non celibate gay and lesbians is forbidden by the constitution. The local option is dead unless something changes at General Assembly. Back to square one. More Light

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5567830.post-71578134566476904552008-02-24T23:59:00.003-06:002008-02-25T06:45:58.431-06:00

Deep Thoughts asks "They claim that thinking about robbing a bank, is the same as robbing the bank. What does it matter what I think?" Actions matter more than thoughts but I don't think thoughts can be dismissed. There must be a difference between being having a brief desire to "kill someone" while driving in traffic versus someone who sits down to plot how such a murder might take place and

Dwighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01022414933969854363noreply@blogger.com